Generational Public Relations and Marketing

If we say “Millennial” what comes to mind? Smartphones and earbuds? Hashtags and status updates? Master’s degrees and unemployment checks?

The problem with winning the attention of a generation is that who they really are runs much deeper than the images we typically associate with them. What kind of clothes does a person prefer? How important is being eco-friendly to them? Do they swing right or left? A person’s age alone cannot answer these things.

But each generation is still in a unique place in their life. Each member shares joys, challenges and life events with the rest of the cohort, and with these things come emotional triggers that steer how they think and behave. It is here, the core rather than the superficial, that marketing messages need to target. Speak to a Millennial’s hope for the future, a Gen Xer’s fierce independence or a Baby Boomer’s eternally youthful spirit, and they’ll reward you with more than just what’s in their wallets.